Iam one of the few lucky "fossils" who was fortunate enough to buy an RD ( FIRST HAND ! ) back in 1987. Contrary to what you see on the few remaining restored RDs today , the originals never had "Yamaha" stickers on their fuel tanks .. it was always "RAJDOOT" .. one could see YAMAHA only on the alternator cover and the "7 port Torque Induction" on the side panels. I still have the RD with me today which Iam painstakingly restoring myself . I see questions like "how bad was the fuel efficiency of the RD" .. well I used to get around 20 KPL in the city ( New Delhi ) and around 22 KPL on the highway ( 90 - 100 km/hr ). Infact on a trip from Delhi to Dehradun where I was riding with my friend who was on an Ind-Suzuki AX 100 with brand new pistons , the RD gave me a downright shock by returning 32 km/litre because we were driving sedately at 60 km/hr to allow the AX-100's pistons to run in ..proves that when ridden sanely, it could return a very decent fuel average, but who the hell bought an RD to ride sanely ? It was the epitome of insane back then and the fastest vehicle on Indian roads two wheels or four ( The Maruti 800 was believe it or not the fastest 4-wheeler then and the RD would run rings around it : - ) the contessa classic came later but at the most it could match the RD only in the top speed stakes .. ). The RD back then was also let down by a bad service network .. most mechanics were unused to balancing twin carburetors ( though it is actually a very simple procedure ) and this combined with the breaker point ignition made the RD rather unreliable with the sparkplugs giving up the ghost in the middle of nowhere because of fouling. Once you got around to dealing with balancing the twin carbs and setting up the ignition timing she was one hell of a mover and boy that burble at idle and the twin cylinder muted howl when revved was "audioholic" ( .4 mm gap between the points when fully open and timing set to 2.5 mm BTDC works fantastic on an LT , the HT had less advance .. 2.2 mm I think .. in any case there are timing marks easily accessible on the left side on opening the alternator cover ..). Even in its heydays RDs were relatively rare and in the countryside during my innumerable chai halts enroute Ladakh and Arunachal, people would gather around it , shake their heads and after a major discussion among themselves , would come back to me asking "yeh bike kya bullet hai , isme do engine kyon hai " ? and I would give them a story that the bike was a modified Bullet and had two bullet engines on it .. Bullet those days was respect and two bullets in one meant respect * 2 or more like respect squared : - ). Escorts did not make things easier for RD customers and spare parts outside major cities were difficult to procure. On long rides, I used to carry a set of cables, breaker points, ignition coil , condenser , spark plugs ( MICO W5BC or NGK BP7HS ), set of bulbs and even a chain sprocket set ( which actually came in handy when my chain broke on the way to Padum from Kargil . All in all it was a bike that came waaaaay before its time. India was just not ready for it back then, but I for one am glad that such a providential fluke did happen !
I own a 1976 RD400 here in the Philippines. Probably the only one running here because I can't find other owners for years. I will always have respect for Indian owners who still have these bikes in really good conditions. 👍
Official Yamaha service centres no more are servicing these bikes nor stocking spares…but luckily in India we still have specialist mechanics who service and restore these bikes..
so the Yamaha wasn't doing well with the rd350 and so they were like 'what do we do now?' They observed, they learned that Honda's CD 100 was being liked by many, so they kept the 100cc in mind and made a 2 stroke, and hence the rx100 was born.
i own both RX100 and CD100. Don't you dare call CD 100 a shitty bike. i agree CD 100 was introduced after Rx but can a RX do 80Kmpl?? Learn to respect all bikes bro.
Thanks for featuring the legend guys! Honestly, in this day and age, people compare the rd350 to the dukes, but I feel in that context this needs to be said- the rd350 WAS the Duke 390 of its day, a small bike that could kill even 750cc inline fours. It truly was a giant killer and now even when I have bigger, faster machines my RD still scares the s***t out of me when the power and hits. Truly a larger than life machine.
This machine has done much history around the world... I have a RD 350 in Brazil, but my motorcycle is YPVS Liquid Cooler model (1987), I love two stroke. Congratulations to video, very cool. = )
I got emotional and had goosebumps and tears in my eyes after seeing this video. I had one bike . I drove it for 10 years and sold it because of spares problem. But till date there's no other bike which can give that much drive pleasure . Thanks for sharing this tribute to the legend.
When you smell 2T, listen 2 stroke you feel like gasoline is fuelled in your body and you just want to drop a gear and disappear. The one who owns 2 stroke is emotionally connected with their vehicle.
when he asked "how much power does it make right now ? " they answered "177". i literally had my mouth wide open and then they say top speed ! what a troll hahaha
I have a '74 RD350 I bought new when I was 19 years old. I am currently ressurecting it after sitting idle for some 33 years. I can tell you that for a small bike, the performance of that 2-stroke was, and will be again, UNBELIEVABLE. I used to pick on the bigger bikes-Honda 500's, 550's, even 750's, and a Harley or 2. NONE of them could out-run me. The 750's gave me a run for the money, but I could still out-run 'em. Most of the competitor's 2-strokes couldn't outrun me, either.The Suzuki 380 was a slug compared to my RD. The only 2-strokes that I had trouble with were the Kawasakis. Their 350 I could run with, but the 500 kicked MY butt. Yessir, that little RD350 was, and still is, a phenominal machine. Bone stock-39 HP @ 6500 RPM. When I'm done with mine (I bought DG Exhaust tuners) , and boring the carbs, she'll be pukping out close to 55 HP. Can hardly wait !!!
The growl the blue smoke the smell of burnt oil wow it's been a few years about 11 to be precise that I last rode one but I feel so nostalgic watching this video I miss the RD what a bike it was !!
the golden years of Yamaha bikes .....bro 2 stroke rules even now and that 60BHP.....that bike can make talk the clouds also ...respect ....always love the old school Yamaha ....
This bike is way better than the crap RE 350s that are being sold today. RE should make OHC engines like the one on Himalayan and let it rev upto 9000-10000rpm The crap OHV engines on the present REs start vibrating horribly upwards of 3000rpm itself. I own RE C350 2015 model and am literally fed up of that underpowered pig. Only the instant torque is appreciable, but the vibrations kill even that joy
My friend, a sincere advice to you :-) NEVER EVER mention RD 350 in same sentence as anything from Royal Enfield stable. NEVER EVER! Matter closed!! PLEEEAAAASSSEEEEE!!
I'm a huge fan of the classics and this video only fortified my respect . It feels good to know that the oldies still hold their heads high alongside the newcomers . awesome video PD , purely awesome.
When i saw the bikes of new generation i mean gixxer and ktm i feel like This bike just cant give the feeling .. the passion which was given by Yezdi and RD .. thanks powerdrift #powerdrift
Every Proud owner of a RD 350 will truly enjoy this Video and the legacy it has been through all these years... My eyes were totally filled with joyful tears when I felt the same feeling the pilot in the show speaks..... Hail RD 350..... Thanks once again Powerdrift for such a beautiful clip. I hope you should have used a scratch less RD for your show rather than the one you guys showed, Never the less RD is a RD....
I can see true emotions in ur eyes bro.Thats why yamaha is legend.when i see a broken 2 stroke yami.my heart cries far from the mind.emotional stuff for 2 strokers like us.bro.well done.
RD 350, the vintage motorcycle loved by true riders of all era. This machine got its tribute from all bike lovers through Power Drift ........ Awesome Sagar Sir!!!
Cool video. I had a Yamaha RZ350 years ago and although I have owned far 'superior' motorcycles riding the RZ350 remains the most fun I have ever had on a street bike. Cornering was insanely easy on such a light motorcycle.
I fully agree with you, the RZ350 is a classic. I have owned the Kenny Roberts Special since 1984! It can still hold its own with the big boys as long as there are curves and mountains!
azuki I'm jealous! The closest thing I have owned to an RZ350 was a 2013 Ninja 300... until some lady backed over it in a parking lot. I upgraded to something bigger afterward but I frequently miss the flickable 300. Cornering is a lot more fun than flat out acceleration.
Yes, cornering is a lot more fun, but its also the acceleration and the high pitched whine of the two stroke that is music to my ears! Not bragging, but I actually have two RZ350's, the second one is an 1985 in the Red and White. I also have an Honda MC21, a V-Twin 250cc which is also a lot of fun! This is a Japan only model as it has an aluminium frame and the bike weighs a mere 136 kg! This bike can really zoom!
Thanks for this. I had one of these back in my youth in Durban, South Africa, and although many bikes have come and gone since then, that one has never been forgotten.
Wowwwww.....I stumbled upon this video rather late....But it gave me the goosebumps, butterflies and everything else in just few minutes! I had the legendary RD 350 for close to 3 years and had to sell it off with teary eyes when I had to be out of India for 1+ year and there was nobody to maintain it at home. I sold it off to - one PARSI senior man - as I was sure only he would take care of it for next few years like I took during my possession! RD was awesome and it felt just great to see the race prepped RD in this article! RD is a serious motorcycle even by today's standard if it is really prepped well by some tuner...Back in 1990s it developed reputation of being "YAM-DOOT" i.e. angel of death (name derived from Yamaha-Rajdoot combine that had launched this bike! Even in stock form, the bike was really fast and reached 150 kmph. Once the RPM went above 5500, it zoomed on like crazy - nothing else gives such quick kick to you except two strokers. I really wish somebody revives two stroke in future with cleaner emissions and who knows, we may get to see something like this yet again in future - a neo retro 2-stroke street racer!
This machine is truly a legend, my father used to tell me about this bike when I was a kid. Everything about this machine was way ahead of it's time, the engine, the power, the looks and the mesmerizing sound. I had a chance to witness one of these legend and truly guys, when you get to see one of these you would scratch your guys and look twice at it before you realise it's really an RD because it's so rare to spot one that you cannot believe that you are lucky enough just to see one. Though it has become a part of fables but it is getting the respect it deserves now. Great presentation guys \m/
The classic racing motorcycle! :D looking back over the internet, I was surprised to see the RD350 LC. It looked completely different and had a sweet sweet note that we all love of 2 strokes. A real legend in racing motorcycle. A good tribute to the legend! #PDArmy
+PowerDrift thank you! 😃 You guys pulled off an amazing video! Keep us fueled with more and more motoring delights 😊 love from all the way from the land of coconuts, where riding bikes is also a part of the culture! 😛 hope to see you guys in action here in kerala! We got some amazing bike routes (twisties) you guys will definitely love! Scary! But we are all riders after all! Kudoos to the team 👍🏼😎
Thanks Powerdrift. Thanks a lot. Goosebmps. Tears of joy and excitement. Now the crew t shirt means about 1000 times more to me, as u guys mentioned it in the teaser for the RD. Thanks guys. Really. Sarge, great job man. I'm really very emotional right now. This is just amazing. Such a legend. Very drag. UNLIMITED wow.
Same. My uncle owned an RD but he sold it in 97 for just 6 or 7k. I go numb whenever I hear him talking about it, because I can't help but wonder what my life would be like if he still had it.
Guys u r doing something no one dares to do that's why u stand out !!! Hats off to u r thought process for channel. This episode made me fall in love for RD once again!!! Salute!!!!
Dad's gonna shed a tear or two when I show this to him. He really loved his RD350, and the mods he'd make on them back in the day. You guys have any clues about where I could find out about some mods, or whether the NMW Racing RD350 is for sale?
Great video 👍 Thumbs up if you are still watching this video and riding a RD350 \m/ @Powedrift : Just a small correction, the brakes you mentioned on the RD 350 were actually "180mm" drum brakes front and rear instead of "150mm"..!! :) Been attached to the RD ever since i was born and riding it for almost 15 years, 33 years and still the best bike ever made !!
in a country where ppl slog to survive and get a meal a day we cannot expect a vehicle with such poor fuel economy , enthusiasts are a few privileged who can actually afford such a machine .
+PowerDrift respect u :D for making a video on this beauty and making our generation know why THE RD 350 is a legend . RD = RESPECT . would love to see it race with a 4 stroker . hidden request😆😄.
@@mohitbaid8148 ... Drag race between A well turned RD with these days fiber toys ?...haha..I just remember some old captions about RD on some auto magazine..."Don't feel bad..you're not the first 750 rider to get blown off by a RD 350.."".....
In my childhood days I have seen this bike and short form of RD(Rapid death)! was also accepted by many. But my first crush was definitely Rx100.Good video. One request is can we get some review on RX100.In my area people still love that.
Very good video. Looks like you love them just like I do. I have bought, built and sold many of these bikes. I now have a 1975 rd350 that was gifted to me by my brother a few years back, this one I am keeping forever. Such a wonderful motor.
I love your reviews and i have only one suggestion - please do reduce the volume of the music. Can hardly hear much about what you have to say about the bike. Best regards
I hope there r many more such videos. Plenty of other bikes and cars that couldn't make it to the limelight due to stupid mentality of the masses. They need to be staged as well. Thanks again for making this video. Thanks a lot.
As an active participant during the RD heydays of the 1980s , I would like to point a few more things : 1) the braking though weak by today's standards was perfectly fine for those days. All vehicles had so-so brakes during the 80s and the RD's drums were par for the course back then. Traffic was a lot less and speeds were a lot slower. 2) Weak brakes were not the reason why RDs got the nickname "Yamdoot" or even "YAMRAJ. It was its tendency to readily wheelie in the first two gears that people found scary. The Delhi police was given HT RDs back then ( Incidentally .. even the "HT" tag seems to be today's terminology .. back in those days in Delhi the HTs were referred to as "stroke" models ( probably implying a longer stroke and therefore more torque ), however both HT and "stroke" are misnomers. The bore and stroke of the LTs and the HTs were the same .. it was just the port timings and accordingly the carb jetting and ignition timing that were different. The LT actually made more torque low down and would be ahead of the HT until around 70 km/hr after which the HT would simply fly by .. 3) The usual Indian attitude towards braking those days was to strictly use rear brakes only. The front brakes were considered "dangerous" and a sure fire recipe for taking a toss over the handle bars. The RDs's oversize twin leading shoe front brake just went against the grain of conventional wisdom back then .. and was actually considered dangerous ! The same mentality played no small part in the demise of the Zundapp Fury around the same time ( The first bike in India to sport a front disk brake ! ) . 4) I have seen a cop skid and fall from his HT just in front of me because he used his rear brakes only and locked them , while I was able to brake safely just behind him on my LT using both brakes. Nothing could convince him that RD was not dangerous ! .. well somethings never change .. the cops in India could not ride properly back then and dont seem to have improved much since : - (
Powerdrift ....hats off to you guys... You are the best... I repeat you are the best... Good luck for your bright future movements... Very good... Made me emotional.. Being a true Yamaha fan you made me go to my garage and start off my Yamaha to roam on streets at 12 pm... Hats off
please make yamaha rx100, rx135, rx135Tiger, RXG, Rx-Z 4&5speed also. waiting please. I have rxz 4&5speed for making the show. fingers crossed. thanku! and please take it into consideration. 😇
Iam one of the few lucky "fossils" who was fortunate enough to buy an RD ( FIRST HAND ! ) back in 1987. Contrary to what you see on the few remaining restored RDs today , the originals never had "Yamaha" stickers on their fuel tanks .. it was always "RAJDOOT" .. one could see YAMAHA only on the alternator cover and the "7 port Torque Induction" on the side panels. I still have the RD with me today which Iam painstakingly restoring myself . I see questions like "how bad was the fuel efficiency of the RD" .. well I used to get around 20 KPL in the city ( New Delhi ) and around 22 KPL on the highway ( 90 - 100 km/hr ). Infact on a trip from Delhi to Dehradun where I was riding with my friend who was on an Ind-Suzuki AX 100 with brand new pistons , the RD gave me a downright shock by returning 32 km/litre because we were driving sedately at 60 km/hr to allow the AX-100's pistons to run in ..proves that when ridden sanely, it could return a very decent fuel average, but who the hell bought an RD to ride sanely ? It was the epitome of insane back then and the fastest vehicle on Indian roads two wheels or four ( The Maruti 800 was believe it or not the fastest 4-wheeler then and the RD would run rings around it : - ) the contessa classic came later but at the most it could match the RD only in the top speed stakes .. ). The RD back then was also let down by a bad service network .. most mechanics were unused to balancing twin carburetors ( though it is actually a very simple procedure ) and this combined with the breaker point ignition made the RD rather unreliable with the sparkplugs giving up the ghost in the middle of nowhere because of fouling. Once you got around to dealing with balancing the twin carbs and setting up the ignition timing she was one hell of a mover and boy that burble at idle and the twin cylinder muted howl when revved was "audioholic" ( .4 mm gap between the points when fully open and timing set to 2.5 mm BTDC works fantastic on an LT , the HT had less advance .. 2.2 mm I think .. in any case there are timing marks easily accessible on the left side on opening the alternator cover ..). Even in its heydays RDs were relatively rare and in the countryside during my innumerable chai halts enroute Ladakh and Arunachal, people would gather around it , shake their heads and after a major discussion among themselves , would come back to me asking "yeh bike kya bullet hai , isme do engine kyon hai " ? and I would give them a story that the bike was a modified Bullet and had two bullet engines on it .. Bullet those days was respect and two bullets in one meant respect * 2 or more like respect squared : - ). Escorts did not make things easier for RD customers and spare parts outside major cities were difficult to procure. On long rides, I used to carry a set of cables, breaker points, ignition coil , condenser , spark plugs ( MICO W5BC or NGK BP7HS ), set of bulbs and even a chain sprocket set ( which actually came in handy when my chain broke on the way to Padum from Kargil . All in all it was a bike that came waaaaay before its time. India was just not ready for it back then, but I for one am glad that such a providential fluke did happen !
Vishwanath Natarajan very well written sir
The way you have put it is amazing! :)
And yes.. the cost cutting drum brake was a budgetary disaster! :(
what a awesome life......
Vishwanath Natarajan,,plz make a detailed video of your gem..
Thank you so much, sir. Beautiful read.
A 350cc 2 stroke twin with 6 gears!!!!
Its a spec that can make enthusiasts go mad even today!!
+pravin murthy True that! The original Bad Boy!
@@powerdriftofficial 60bhp
I own a 1976 RD400 here in the Philippines. Probably the only one running here because I can't find other owners for years. I will always have respect for Indian owners who still have these bikes in really good conditions. 👍
Where in Philippines bro?
Its a rd350
My Father Having IT He Modified The Silincer And Done Porting To The Bock Piston What A Spped 1.5 sec 100+ WHat A Biike Man He Loves It
Official Yamaha service centres no more are servicing these bikes nor stocking spares…but luckily in India we still have specialist mechanics who service and restore these bikes..
Rd350 cannot be described in words. Its beyond explanation.
that's what my dad used to say
Very true the pleasure in riding this bike is ❤️❤️
Very True 💓💓💓
Emotional stuff for RD lovers :)
+The HeartBrokenBiker :)
PowerDrift rd 350 is a masterpiece. Nice work powerdrift. keep going :)
its emotional for yamaha lovers too !!! :)
Sagar I showed This video To my dad. And He Got emotional after seeing RD350. Ty power drift
Glad to know we could get him a smile!
Here is something that he might like as well - ruclips.net/video/bGp8wLB84hA/видео.html
PowerDrift any video on rx 100 ? it was iconic too I guess !
Museb Modak it was my dad's dream bike. and still is
Yamaha RX100 awaits to be tributed
+Mohammad Hussain Yes we need that
so the Yamaha wasn't doing well with the rd350 and so they were like 'what do we do now?' They observed, they learned that Honda's CD 100 was being liked by many, so they kept the 100cc in mind and made a 2 stroke, and hence the rx100 was born.
+Mohammad Hussain We need a tribute for the iconic RX 100 as well.
bro...Cd 100 was brought after rx 100..yamaha follows nobody..not tht shitty hero bike..yakkk..cd 100
i own both RX100 and CD100. Don't you dare call CD 100 a shitty bike. i agree CD 100 was introduced after Rx but can a RX do 80Kmpl??
Learn to respect all bikes bro.
Thanks for featuring the legend guys!
Honestly, in this day and age, people compare the rd350 to the dukes, but I feel in that context this needs to be said- the rd350 WAS the Duke 390 of its day, a small bike that could kill even 750cc inline fours. It truly was a giant killer and now even when I have bigger, faster machines my RD still scares the s***t out of me when the power and hits. Truly a larger than life machine.
This machine has done much history around the world...
I have a RD 350 in Brazil, but my motorcycle is YPVS Liquid Cooler model (1987), I love two stroke.
Congratulations to video, very cool.
= )
Thiago Rodrigues Obrigado Thiago. Do check our other videos as well and do not forget to subscribe. :)
The iPhone analogy was just perfect! Good job.
dilsherbuttar Cheers. :)
9 splendor riders dislike it... because they can't understand a word beyond "kitna deti hai?"
Vatsalya Sharma well said brother !!
+Vatsalya Sharma LOL MAX! :P
Vatsalya Sharma I dont speak Hindu, what does Kitna deti hai mean?
it's not Hindu bro it's Hindi
Raymond XL it means ''what's the mileage?''
I got emotional and had goosebumps and tears in my eyes after seeing this video. I had one bike . I drove it for 10 years and sold it because of spares problem. But till date there's no other bike which can give that much drive pleasure . Thanks for sharing this tribute to the legend.
When you smell 2T, listen 2 stroke you feel like gasoline is fuelled in your body and you just want to drop a gear and disappear. The one who owns 2 stroke is emotionally connected with their vehicle.
Brilliant presentation!
Thank you. Hope you've subscribed to our channel.
❤
when he asked "how much power does it make right now ? " they answered "177". i literally had my mouth wide open and then they say top speed ! what a troll hahaha
Shriom Manerker lol. same here
But 60BHP bro... It's also a lot of power
39bhp not 60
@@sashankg1 stock made 39
That one is tuned
Sashank Gaikwad it's tuned
I have a '74 RD350 I bought new when I was 19 years old. I am currently ressurecting it after sitting idle for some 33 years. I can tell you that for a small bike, the performance of that 2-stroke was, and will be again, UNBELIEVABLE. I used to pick on the bigger bikes-Honda 500's, 550's, even 750's, and a Harley or 2. NONE of them could out-run me. The 750's gave me a run for the money, but I could still out-run 'em. Most of the competitor's 2-strokes couldn't outrun me, either.The Suzuki 380 was a slug compared to my RD. The only 2-strokes that I had trouble with were the Kawasakis. Their 350 I could run with, but the 500 kicked MY butt.
Yessir, that little RD350 was, and still is, a phenominal machine. Bone stock-39 HP @ 6500 RPM. When I'm done with mine (I bought DG Exhaust tuners) , and boring the carbs, she'll be pukping out close to 55 HP.
Can hardly wait !!!
The growl the blue smoke the smell of burnt oil wow it's been a few years about 11 to be precise that I last rode one but I feel so nostalgic watching this video I miss the RD what a bike it was !!
the golden years of Yamaha bikes .....bro 2 stroke rules even now and that 60BHP.....that bike can make talk the clouds also ...respect ....always love the old school Yamaha ....
This bike is way better than the crap RE 350s that are being sold today.
RE should make OHC engines like the one on Himalayan and let it rev upto 9000-10000rpm
The crap OHV engines on the present REs start vibrating horribly upwards of 3000rpm itself.
I own RE C350 2015 model and am literally fed up of that underpowered pig. Only the instant torque is appreciable, but the vibrations kill even that joy
If you want your bikes to go fast then you should've opted for a duke or a pulsar.
Ajay Kaushik so true... I had a TB 350 its just vibrate after 4000rpm
My friend, a sincere advice to you :-) NEVER EVER mention RD 350 in same sentence as anything from Royal Enfield stable. NEVER EVER! Matter closed!! PLEEEAAAASSSEEEEE!!
To drag that much wait on road..short bore long stroke engine is only logical choice. High rev engine doesn't make any sense on RE.
Ys this is way better than re crap a legend to remember forever
A cup of coffee, its raining, and i'm watching this epicness.....dem feels..you guys.....just awesome...no words....JUSTICE MADE TO THE LEGEND
+rohan ghag Love to read such comments ;)
Keep 'em coming :)
Ths is by far the best video by powerdrift....more nostalgic stuff needed....
Thank you so much. We'll try to make some more then!
P.S. What do you think about this one- ruclips.net/video/B-fppUy3YyQ/видео.html ? :)
I'm a huge fan of the classics and this video only fortified my respect . It feels good to know that the oldies still hold their heads high alongside the newcomers . awesome video PD , purely awesome.
+Girish Karajgi And that's why they are legends :)
Glad that you enjoyed it mate. Remember to #Like or just #Share ahead.
When i saw the bikes of new generation i mean gixxer and ktm i feel like This bike just cant give the feeling .. the passion which was given by Yezdi and RD .. thanks powerdrift #powerdrift
Every Proud owner of a RD 350 will truly enjoy this Video and the legacy it has been through all these years... My eyes were totally filled with joyful tears when I felt the same feeling the pilot in the show speaks..... Hail RD 350.....
Thanks once again Powerdrift for such a beautiful clip. I hope you should have used a scratch less RD for your show rather than the one you guys showed, Never the less RD is a RD....
+Dilip Kumar Glad you love it Dilip. We couldn't source a neat RD but then it all mattered for what was under the hood :)
5:46 oh that sound!😍
I can see true emotions in ur eyes bro.Thats why yamaha is legend.when i see a broken 2 stroke yami.my heart cries far from the mind.emotional stuff for 2 strokers like us.bro.well done.
HOLY SMOKIN MOLLY... THE GOD!!!!! THE BEAST!!! FREAKIN AWESOME VIDEO GUYS!!! BLOWN AWAY !!!!!!!!!!
+Dempsy Kushalappa Thank you, thank you, thank you :D
RD 350, the vintage motorcycle loved by true riders of all era. This machine got its tribute from all bike lovers through Power Drift ........ Awesome Sagar Sir!!!
+KAMANIYA DEY Thanks bud. The RD350 will never really get old we feel :D
Did you show this to your friends yet ?
Cool video. I had a Yamaha RZ350 years ago and although I have owned far 'superior' motorcycles riding the RZ350 remains the most fun I have ever had on a street bike. Cornering was insanely easy on such a light motorcycle.
I fully agree with you, the RZ350 is a classic. I have owned the Kenny Roberts Special since 1984! It can still hold its own with the big boys as long as there are curves and mountains!
azuki I'm jealous! The closest thing I have owned to an RZ350 was a 2013 Ninja 300... until some lady backed over it in a parking lot. I upgraded to something bigger afterward but I frequently miss the flickable 300. Cornering is a lot more fun than flat out acceleration.
Yes, cornering is a lot more fun, but its also the acceleration and the high pitched whine of the two stroke that is music to my ears! Not bragging, but I actually have two RZ350's, the second one is an 1985 in the Red and White. I also have an Honda MC21, a V-Twin 250cc which is also a lot of fun! This is a Japan only model as it has an aluminium frame and the bike weighs a mere 136 kg! This bike can really zoom!
+Hans Zarkov True that! Very flickable :)
Thanks for this. I had one of these back in my youth in Durban, South Africa, and although many bikes have come and gone since then, that one has never been forgotten.
Its been years i haven't seen RD thanks for this video pal it gets me flash backs on my school days , wish you also do a tribute on Yamaha RX-100
preethumv Ahh! Nostalgia is our forte ;)
In tears.... loved that bike.... dad had one, the reason I started riding.....
thanks guys godspeed...
+nitinsharma12 We are glad it brought back good memories :)
60 hp from an rd?? that thing must haul like a boss!
Siddharth fgjhfh at the crank probably. That ignition was an MZB I suppose. Looked like one 🔥
Siddharth fgjhfh while my rc390 only has 42/43. Lol!
Raymond XL exactly😂😂
Siddharth fgjhfh and now Yamaha selling 16ps bikes for 1.70 lacs 😂😂😂
Atul Navadiya It's a total ripoff. And a 1.7 lakh yamaha doesnt even come with at least usd forks. Total ripoff!
Mother Of Yamaha :) Respect ... This Video is Emotional.. My dad Used to own this Bike ... When i was a small
Nikhil Nepal Hope you loved our feature. :)
Yeah!! of course.. you guys are the best :)
Yamaha seriously need to bring this beast back
R3
Wowwwww.....I stumbled upon this video rather late....But it gave me the goosebumps, butterflies and everything else in just few minutes! I had the legendary RD 350 for close to 3 years and had to sell it off with teary eyes when I had to be out of India for 1+ year and there was nobody to maintain it at home. I sold it off to - one PARSI senior man - as I was sure only he would take care of it for next few years like I took during my possession! RD was awesome and it felt just great to see the race prepped RD in this article! RD is a serious motorcycle even by today's standard if it is really prepped well by some tuner...Back in 1990s it developed reputation of being "YAM-DOOT" i.e. angel of death (name derived from Yamaha-Rajdoot combine that had launched this bike!
Even in stock form, the bike was really fast and reached 150 kmph. Once the RPM went above 5500, it zoomed on like crazy - nothing else gives such quick kick to you except two strokers.
I really wish somebody revives two stroke in future with cleaner emissions and who knows, we may get to see something like this yet again in future - a neo retro 2-stroke street racer!
That thing is fast!!
The last shot when u go past the guy who measured the speed....dude...goosebumps!!!
+piyush kingaonkar Hence gets the tag of a Legend :D
This machine is truly a legend, my father used to tell me about this bike when I was a kid. Everything about this machine was way ahead of it's time, the engine, the power, the looks and the mesmerizing sound. I had a chance to witness one of these legend and truly guys, when you get to see one of these you would scratch your guys and look twice at it before you realise it's really an RD because it's so rare to spot one that you cannot believe that you are lucky enough just to see one. Though it has become a part of fables but it is getting the respect it deserves now. Great presentation guys \m/
Harsh Dhiman Wow! That is quite some story. Appreciate it you sharing with us. :)
The bike.....the myth..... the legend.....RD350😎
The classic racing motorcycle! :D looking back over the internet, I was surprised to see the RD350 LC. It looked completely different and had a sweet sweet note that we all love of 2 strokes. A real legend in racing motorcycle. A good tribute to the legend! #PDArmy
+Raj K. Nair Love that comment comrade :)
+PowerDrift thank you! 😃 You guys pulled off an amazing video! Keep us fueled with more and more motoring delights 😊 love from all the way from the land of coconuts, where riding bikes is also a part of the culture! 😛 hope to see you guys in action here in kerala! We got some amazing bike routes (twisties) you guys will definitely love! Scary! But we are all riders after all! Kudoos to the team 👍🏼😎
2018,still watching,still getting goose bumps. #pdarmy
My Dad had one of these beasts in his youth and he still goes on about it. Lovely video and a fitting tribute to the legend.
The Amitabh Bachan of Indian Motoring :)
+Hooligan Rider Naam hay Shehenshah :P
PowerDrift ahahaha yeah !!
4:50 that cornering was badass.
Haha.. the R1 doesn't stand a chance..! :P 4:48
Abhishek Vp Hahaha True RD350 baap hai in new bany bikes ki !!! BEST EVER the _King RD350_ ❤
@Kartik Chauhan look at the twin exhaust and fat rear. How is that r15 for you?
A fitting trubute.
"Not the hero india needed, but the one it deserved".
Kudos lads.
+saumitra kariya Applause to this! :D
Thanks Powerdrift. Thanks a lot. Goosebmps. Tears of joy and excitement. Now the crew t shirt means about 1000 times more to me, as u guys mentioned it in the teaser for the RD. Thanks guys. Really. Sarge, great job man. I'm really very emotional right now. This is just amazing.
Such a legend. Very drag. UNLIMITED wow.
Wow, truly emotional and goosebumps all over. Great job PD. Keep bringing more.
+dilip p And we shall continue doing so :D
my dad used to own one :D
he sold it off for 5 grand in 98
well.... i m 21 now and i crib alot XD
+Manvendra Sengar Hahahah! Join the club :)
The KTM sounds like it has a permanent whooping cough. All these new bikes are not as appealing as these older 2 Stroke bikes.
Same for us we had a '84 high torque. Sold it for 16 grands in 96 due to lack of availability of spares.
Same. My uncle owned an RD but he sold it in 97 for just 6 or 7k. I go numb whenever I hear him talking about it, because I can't help but wonder what my life would be like if he still had it.
Guys u r doing something no one dares to do that's why u stand out !!! Hats off to u r thought process for channel. This episode made me fall in love for RD once again!!!
Salute!!!!
Well done again ***** ! Another gem of a review.
+Phil_RTR Thanks for the love Phil :D
Proud to be a owner of this legendary machine!!! Always love it!! Wonderful job powerdriftofficial !!!
+Mohana R Ahhh! So much envy :P
But some of my uncles said this was a privilege to own and cumbersome to maintain,of course,with great power comes great revs.#PDArmy.
+Sai Manideep Bejugam True that! Great revs and an epic sound note! :D
1:34 to 1:46 THE GOOSEBUMPS MOMENT!!
:D High 5!
make a video on Yezdi roadking..please
Yamaha please bring back these motorcycles RD350 & RX100 back in production... They are just massive bikes... They are just legends
It's legenddddary! Please make a video comparison of RD350 and Duke 390.
I have much respect and admiration for a country that honors the rd350.
A pure legend !!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰💯💯💯👌👌👌👌👌👌
***** Glad to see this beast featuring on your channel :) , waiting for other oldies like the RX.Shogun,Yezdi,Jawa :) Keep the video's coming .
+Tejesh Nair We would love to swing a leg over :D
This is gold 😍
Like it, love it?
Remember to share it :D
One of the best video production design ever watched in indian context. Respect !!!
Thank you for that compliment, Dhanesh! Here's something more that you might enjoy - ruclips.net/video/En2GQ-NeM3w/видео.html
Dad's gonna shed a tear or two when I show this to him. He really loved his RD350, and the mods he'd make on them back in the day.
You guys have any clues about where I could find out about some mods, or whether the NMW Racing RD350 is for sale?
RD .... RD..... RD ......RD....
Ohhh the legend. It can make any Indian bike enthusiast weak at his knees even today... without doubt
+Tejus Vyas True that!
I feel that they used to make a lot more powerful bike in those days than today.
MrKevinontube True that!
My Friend has got a RD 350! Man! It is such a beauty. You could hear it rumble hundreds of meters away
A piece of legend right there!
Like the anchor...! Nice guy.... Rd 350 can still whipp some new asses...
Thank you! May we also suggest you watch some of our recent reviews and tell us what you think about them :)
This video made me to become a proud owner of that beast even at this era 🤘🏼🤘🏼.
Thanku #powerdrift
#25MillionOnPD This video just injects some adrenaline rush in to a person's system who loves MOTORCYCLES and not superbikes.
+saurish bharadwaj Cheers there! Have you seen our tribute to this legend? bit.ly/TheDhoomBike
Great video 👍
Thumbs up if you are still watching this video and riding a RD350 \m/
@Powedrift : Just a small correction, the brakes you mentioned on the RD 350 were actually "180mm" drum brakes front and rear instead of "150mm"..!! :)
Been attached to the RD ever since i was born and riding it for almost 15 years, 33 years and still the best bike ever made !!
Hey Guys.. Kudos to the work you put in! But one request to you.. please do one segment on Yamaha RX 100! The pocket size powerhouse!
1:33 Awwww.... 😎😎😎🔥🔥🔥 When the bike starts...
Like if you want to see a tribute from PD Army for Yamaha RX100,RXZ or Suzuki Shaolin!!!!
Anil T.V Suzuki Shogun ..the boss!!!
The boss
+Anil T.V Sigh! Difficult to get a mint condition motorcycle of that era :(
yeah i know sucks right?! you can get RX100,135,Z but Shaolin
PowerDrift one of friend have all 2 stroke single cyl bikes in mint condition
if you gave me id i can send you some pictures of each and every bike
Grt...salute to u ....... sagar.... u again proved a bike is nevr evr old untill u love it...... thnxx man...
+sourav adhikary Like we say - Heroes are remembered but Legends never die ;)
in a country where ppl slog to survive and get a meal a day we cannot expect a vehicle with such poor fuel economy , enthusiasts are a few privileged who can actually afford such a machine .
krishnendu piplai True that and very well said. :)
krishnendu piplai it's at least cheaper that the pulsar, which everyone can 'afford'.
And? What is your point?
This is country where even fisherman and vegetable and fruit vendors buy RE worth 1.5 lakhs and gives shit mileage..
wow! no words seriously. the video was also so cool ! hats off powerdrift u guys doing a great job.!
+Maithreya Rajasekhar Thank you so much Maithreya :D
The exhaust echoing in the basement.....makes you weep!!
Indeed #Legend
+PowerDrift respect u :D for making a video on this beauty and making our generation know why THE RD 350 is a legend . RD = RESPECT . would love to see it race with a 4 stroker . hidden request😆😄.
@@mohitbaid8148 ... Drag race between A well turned RD with these days fiber toys ?...haha..I just remember some old captions about RD on some auto magazine..."Don't feel bad..you're not the first 750 rider to get blown off by a RD 350.."".....
In my childhood days I have seen this bike and short form of RD(Rapid death)! was also accepted by many. But my first crush was definitely Rx100.Good video. One request is can we get some review on RX100.In my area people still love that.
+Kausik Das The RX100 was a revolution. The RD was a step above the revolution :)
Yamaha rules
Very good video. Looks like you love them just like I do. I have bought, built and sold many of these bikes. I now have a 1975 rd350 that was gifted to me by my brother a few years back, this one I am keeping forever. Such a wonderful motor.
I love your reviews and i have only one suggestion - please do reduce the volume of the music. Can hardly hear much about what you have to say about the bike. Best regards
Karan Sindhu Alright buddy! Noted. :)
PowerDrift also wud be nice if one can hear the engines raw sound without any music...whether its a car or bike
It cannot be just cannot be any better than this. An Icon gives tribute to a legend
Rx135❤️
its sad that you can like a video only once. i have forgotten how many times i have seen this one. keep up the good work fellas
Thank you +Shriram Rane
You can always #Share it though, with as many friends as you wish :D
I hope there r many more such videos. Plenty of other bikes and cars that couldn't make it to the limelight due to stupid mentality of the masses. They need to be staged as well. Thanks again for making this video. Thanks a lot.
WOW! there were many MotoMagz and shows in the past who have tried their hands on reviewing RD (Racing Divine).....PowerDrift take a BOW!!!
+ashwin kumar Gee! That comment is GOLD! :D
The Daddy returns.
+Chitransh Khanna The Daddy of all Daddy's we say!
As an active participant during the RD heydays of the 1980s , I would like to point a few more things :
1) the braking though weak by today's standards was perfectly fine for those days. All vehicles had so-so brakes during the 80s and the RD's drums were par for the course back then. Traffic was a lot less and speeds were a lot slower.
2) Weak brakes were not the reason why RDs got the nickname "Yamdoot" or even "YAMRAJ. It was its tendency to readily wheelie in the first two gears that people found scary. The Delhi police was given HT RDs back then ( Incidentally .. even the "HT" tag seems to be today's terminology .. back in those days in Delhi the HTs were referred to as "stroke" models ( probably implying a longer stroke and therefore more torque ), however both HT and "stroke" are misnomers. The bore and stroke of the LTs and the HTs were the same .. it was just the port timings and accordingly the carb jetting and ignition timing that were different. The LT actually made more torque low down and would be ahead of the HT until around 70 km/hr after which the HT would simply fly by ..
3) The usual Indian attitude towards braking those days was to strictly use rear brakes only. The front brakes were considered "dangerous" and a sure fire recipe for taking a toss over the handle bars. The RDs's oversize twin leading shoe front brake just went against the grain of conventional wisdom back then .. and was actually considered dangerous ! The same mentality played no small part in the demise of the Zundapp Fury around the same time ( The first bike in India to sport a front disk brake ! ) .
4) I have seen a cop skid and fall from his HT just in front of me because he used his rear brakes only and locked them , while I was able to brake safely just behind him on my LT using both brakes. Nothing could convince him that RD was not dangerous ! .. well somethings never change .. the cops in India could not ride properly back then and dont seem to have improved much since : - (
we need a drag race between stock rd 350 and KTM 390
GOOD TO SEE 2 LEGENDS IN TRACK -RD&NMW
+knight ryderz True!
gave me goosebumps ..I think the 3 dislike is because the bike made them shit in their pants
+Nikhil Pindis Hahahahaha!
Another brilliant video. Thanks for remembering the classics that helped to bring us to where we are today.
***** them feels. That's something that made a lot of our's day.
+arcanum70 This Bad Boy was the one to own during those days!
guys why don't u make a video of rx100 ull get good views too
You guys should do more of these special legendary bike tribute episodes. Feels good man.
Yamaha Rx100/135... Is also waiting for u guys... To be reviewed by best.
Vijayant singh Sounds tempting :P
PowerDrift you are d bst...
Also we would like to know the difference between rxg,rx 135 tiger and rx 135 yeis models
Powerdrift ....hats off to you guys... You are the best... I repeat you are the best... Good luck for your bright future movements... Very good... Made me emotional.. Being a true Yamaha fan you made me go to my garage and start off my Yamaha to roam on streets at 12 pm... Hats off
+Ajinkya Kadam Cheers to that! :)
please make yamaha rx100, rx135, rx135Tiger, RXG, Rx-Z 4&5speed also.
waiting please.
I have rxz 4&5speed for making the show.
fingers crossed. thanku! and please take it into consideration. 😇
Whats the difference between Rx 135 tiger and Rx 135 yeis? Wasnt the Rx 135 tiger launched after Rxg and before Rx 135 yeis?
special thanks to every member of powerdrift for this video. this bike is legend and he deserve respect.
It would be great if you can test the Motoexotica RD350 cafe racer & the JC Moto RD350 Flat Tracker! :)
And brilliant review as always... Kudos!! :)
+Visakh Asok Get us one and we shall do it! :)
No other bike could take it's place....the legend